Does it really matter? Does it matter if we have free will? Does it matter if Calvinism is true? And does what you think about it matter? No and yes. No, it doesn't matter because God is who he is and does what he does regardless of what we think of him, just as the solar system keeps spinning around the sun even if we're convinced it spins around the earth. Our opinions about God will not change God, but they can change us. And so yes, it does matter because the conversations about free will and Calvinism confront us with perhaps the only question that really matters: who is God? This is a book about that question--a book about the Bible, black holes, love, sovereignty, hell, Romans 9, Jonathan Edwards, John Piper, C. S. Lewis, Karl Barth, and a little girl in a red coat. You've heard arguments, but here's a story--Austin Fischer's story, and his journey in and out of Calvinism on a trip to the center of the universe.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Toward the Future of Reformed Theology brings together the voices of leading contemporary Reformed theologians from around the world, providing a unique summary of the range and wealth of Reformed theology today and exploring its potential for the future. These thirty-one essays consider the task of Reformed theology in the modern world, give Reformed perspectives on key theological themes, and suggest fruitful present-day trajectories of Reformed thought from the past. Contributors: Brian GerrishM Janos Pasztor Nobuo Watanabe Choan-Seng Song Edmund Za Bik Wafiq Wahba John de Gruchy Jürgen Moltmann Michael Welker Beatriz Melano Thomas Torrance David Willis William Placher Alexander McKelway Leanne Van Dyk Christian Link Lukas Vischer Walter Herrenbrück Nancy Duff Hans-Joachim Kraus John Leith Willem Balke Hans- Helmut Esser Dawn DeVries Jan Milic Lochman John Hesselink Sang Hyun Lee Amy Plantinga Pauw Bruce McCormack Daniel Migliore Eberhard Busch

A dynamic array of scholars here inspects the role of the Reformed confessional tradition in the reading and interpretation of Scripture. Written by contributors not only from the West but also from Hungary, Romania, India, South Africa, and China, these essays recognize the influence of one??'s context in doing exegetical work. Wide-ranging and lucid, Reformed Theology: Identity and Ecumenicity II is an excellent resource for readers looking to examine current biblical and theological trends in Reformed thought. Contributors: Denise M. Ackermann Peter Balla Brian K. Blount Hendrik Bosman H. Russel Botman William P. Brown H. J. Bernard Combrink Beverly Roberts Gaventa Zsolt Gereb Theodore Hiebert Jaqueline E. Lapsley Bernard Lategan James Luther Mays J. Clinton McCann Jr. Alexander J. McKelway Patrick D. Miller Elna Mouton Piet J. Naud? Ed Noort E. A. Obeng Douglas F. Ottati Ronald A. Piper Cynthia L. Rigby D. R. Sadananda Konrad Schmid Dirk Smit Iain Torrance Hans Weder Carver T. Yu

The Reformed tradition is characterized by a rigorous commitment to theological formulation, yet it is equally known for its commitment to rooting its life and practice in the authority of God’s Word. While these two commitments are commonly acknowledged, the path from biblical interpretation to doctrinal formulation is often overlooked. Examining a diverse group of thinkers across the chronological and international spectrum of the Reformed tradition, this book demonstrates the depth and intricacies involved in the tasks of exegesis and dogmatic construction, the ways they intersect, and the effect it has on the church. Table of Contents: Preface - Richard A. Muller 1. An Appreciation of James De Jong - Calvin Van Reken 2. Calvin's Teaching Office and the Dutch Reformed Doctorenambt - Joel R. Beeke 3. An Immeasurably Superior Rhetoric: Biblical and Homiletical Oratory in Calvin's Sermons on the History of Melchizedek and Abraham - Richard A. Muller 4. Calvin's Lectures on Zechariah: Textual Notes - Al Wolters 5. Adopted in Christ, Appointed to the Slaughter: Calvin's Interpretation of the Maccabean Psalms - Keith D. Stanglin 6. Peter Martyr Vermigli and Aquinas Justice of War Doctrine - Mark J. Larson 7. Beza's Two Confessions as Sources of the Heidelberg Catechism - Lyle D. Bierma 8. Henry Ainsworth, Harried Hebraist - Raymond A. Blacketer 9. The Interpretation of Christ's Descent into Hades in the Early Seventeenth Century - Jay Shim 10. Critical and Catholic Exegesis in the Seventeenth-Century Low Countries - John S. Bergsma 11. Biblical Interpretation and Doctrinal Formulation in John Flavel's Works - Won Taek Lim 12. The Hobbes-Bramhall Debate on the Nature of Freedom and Necessity - J. Mark Beach 13. Bible Commentary for the Untutored: The Bijbelverklaring of 1780 1795, by Jacob van Nuys Klinkenberg and Gerard Johan Nahuys - Arie C. Leder 14. Herman Hoeksema was Right (on the three points that really matter) - John Bolt

As its name implies, the Reformed tradition grew out of the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Reformed churches consider themselves to be the Catholic Church reformed. The movement originated in the reform efforts of Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) of Zurich and John Calvin (1509-1564) of Geneva. Although the Reformed movement was dependent upon many Protestant leaders, it was Calvin's tireless work as a writer, preacher, teacher, and social and ecclesiastical reformer that provided a substantial body of literature and an ethos from which the Reformed tradition grew. Today, the Reformed churches are a multicultural, multiethnic, and multinational phenomenon. Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches, Third Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 1,000 cross-referenced entries on leaders, personalities, events, facts, movements, and beliefs of the Reformed churches. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about reformed churches.

Many books aim to help beginners explore whether or not evolutionary science is compatible with Christian faith. This one probes more deeply to ask: What do we learn from modern evolutionary science about key issues that are of special theological concern? And what does Christian theology, especially in its Reformed expressions, say about those same key issues? Gijsbert van den Brink begins by describing the layers of meaning in the phrase “evolutionary theory” and exploring the question of how to interpret the Bible with regard to science. He then works through five key areas of potential conflict between evolutionary theory and Christian faith, spelling out scientific findings and analyzing Christian doctrinal concerns along the way. His conclusion: although some traditional doctrinal interpretations must be adjusted, evolutionary science is no obstacle to classical Christian faith.